You are the Music In Me
by disneygurl054
Summary: Troy and Gabriella's future split them apart. Now that they are split, everything changes. Now, Gabriella is a celeb and Troy a bball star. Then fate brings them together and makes them realize what they really need to make life work... each other.
1. Intro

**You are the Music in Me**

**Intro**

**This is the part where I introduce the story to you guys. This is my first time writing here. I got help from xoxMusicalxox. Please read and review and be sure to read some of xoxMusicalxox's stories. They are really good. Peace and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!**

Gabriella Montez strolled back to her dressing room with her best friend Taylor McKessie.

"You were awesome." She said. She felt tired.

"Thank you. You too!" Taylor replied, "After all, you are the star. This is our fifth performance of this musical and it is fun to do! " They dropped into their chairs and Gabriella turned on the television. There on the screen was her and her boyfriend Chase Marcus.

"Aren't they the greatest couple around?" the announcer's voice said.

"No." Gabriella mumbled. They were both rich and looked extremely happy, but Chase was easily attracted to other women, hardly ever around, and there were no longer any real sparks between them. Taylor squeezed her friend.

"One day you'll find the right guy and you will find him soon." She assured her. At that moment, a shooting star shot through the sky.

"Oh look!" Gabriella cried, "A shooting star! That means the perfect guy will come soon! I hope…

"You are a great person Denise, but I can't go out with you anymore."

"Why?" Denise asked angrily.

"I have a lot on my mind, and I don't think you're my type."

"But Troy…" she was cut off by him.

"Denise- I can't." he said. He hopped into his car and drove away. He felt bad, but the only person he could think about was Gabriella, his high school sweetheart. But she was a celebrity now and she already had a boyfriend. That actor guy… Chase Marcus. He took out his cell phone and glanced at the picture of her. She was sweet, kind, smart, helpful, and friendly. There was no one else like her.

"I miss you Gabi." He whispered. At that moment the same shooting star soared by.


	2. Cheater!

**You are the Music in Me**

**Chapter 1- Cheater!**

**Hi, again. This chapter may confuse you a bit and leaves you very curious. But hang****on and e****njoy!!!**

"Wake up sleepy head."Taylor said, shaking Gabriella gently. "Gabriella… Gabriella… WAKE UP!!!" Gabriella's head shot up. Her once flowing brown curls had turned into a curly tumbleweed on her head. Taylor chuckled.

"C'mon, get up. I'll help you with your hair." Gabriella got up and opened the curtains. Sunlight poured in. She sat down and let Taylor brush her hair.

"So, how was your date with Chad last night?" she asked, grinning. Chad and Taylor were still together since high school. They were such a cute couple. Gabriella envied them, but was happy for them.

"Well, Chad took me to the set of his music video and then we went to a nice restaurant." Taylor said. She admired Gabriella's now- tamed hair and headed to the kitchen. The best friends had bout this two bedroom apartment across the street from the theater. It was like sharing a dorm with your sister.

"It's nice that he finally gets to have his own video. He has always wanted to show the world his style." Gabriella said. She went into her closet and found some jeans and a t-shirt.

"I know!" Taylor exclaimed, "He was so proud to show it all to me, and I _am_ very proud of him." She began to make breakfast. Just then there was a soft knock on the door. Gabriella opened it. Chase stood there.

"Hey Gabs." He said. She expected him to kiss her and give her some kind of expensive gift, like usual. But instead he just hugged her.

"You missed the whole week of my show… and the opening premiere. You promised to be there!"

"Sorry, I went to London." Chase said, trying to come in. But Gabriella didn't let him.

"You went to London without telling me!!!" Her voice rose angrily.

"I'm really sorry Gabs, but I…" Chase began.

"No… no…no way. That's it!" Gabriella cried. She pushed past him and went into the hall.

"I wasn't cheating on you." Chase said.

"Then why didn't you tell me before you went!!!" The brunette screamed. She stormed towards the end of the hall. Her security guard, Henry, was arguing with a blond woman.

"I'm Chase's girlfriend Mr. Neanderthal." The blond was saying. Gabriella's jaw dropped. She would know that voice anywhere. Sure enough it was Sharpay Evans. She was wearing pink high heels and a glittery pink sweater with corduroy jeans.

"No." said Henry. He had heard this story many times before. "His girlfriend is Ms.Montez."

Now it was Sharpay's turn to be shocked. She dramatically gasped for air. Gabriella stepped around Henry.

"It's okay Henry, we're old… um… friends." She pulled Sharpay down the hall towards her.

"Where do you live Sharpay?" she asked.

"Why should you care?" Sharpay snapped.

"I think Chase is cheating on both of us." Gabriella whispered.

"What about you and Troy?" her enemy asked accusingly.

"Um, I… we…" Gabriella stuttered.

"Never mind!" Sharpay hissed. "I live in London."

"Chase said he went to London!" Gabriella shrieked as low as she could.

"Yeah, we spent the whole week together. He even took me on a shopping spree!!" the blond said. Gabriella felt her whole body stiffen. She was torn.

"Was this the first time?" she asked softly, thinking about all of the other times Chase was gone.

"No." Sharpay whispered guiltily. "I'm sorry Gabriella, it's just that… London doesn't really cover Chase and you, and he told me that you two broke up. I just came here to surprise him. He told me he lived here." Gabriella simmered with fury.

"Taylor and I live here." She said.

"Oh… really." Sharpay said, "is she like a teacher or something?''

"She's my co-star." The young actress said.

"Oh." There was silence for a moment. Gabriella then got an idea. She pulled Sharpay and her past Henry towards the elevator. She whispered the plan into her ear. They both grinned and Sharpay got on the elevator. "See you later." She mouthed as the doors closed. Gabriella winked and returned to her apartment.

"Fine Chase, I'll give you another chance." She said, putting on a fake smile, "But can you do me a favor and come on-stage after my show tomorrow? "

"Um… okay." Chase agreed.

"Just thank the crowd for supporting us as a couple." She said. She had to keep herself from giggling at Taylor's confused stare.

After Chase left, she collapsed into giggles.

"Okay Gabriella, I know you. He hurt you deep, why did you let him back in so quickly? I know for a fact that you are up to something." Taylor said. Gabriella leaned over and whispered into her friend's ear.

"Ohhhh." Taylor said, nodding, "Perfect." The brunette finished and laughed. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.


	3. It's Over!

**You are the Music in Me**

**Chapter 2- ****It's ****Over**

** Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews and for adding this story to your story alerts and favorites. I really appreciate them. I updated as soon as I could. Peace!!!**

When the curtain closed the following night, Gabriella yelped with joy. Her plan was on its way into action. She gave a signal to Taylor, who opened the back door. Sharpay snuck in wearing giant designer shades. Taylor rolled her eyes and ran into the audience. She spotted an ET (Entertainment Tonight) cameraman and ran up to him.

"Excuse me sir." she said. "I have a juicy piece of info for you that will draw millions of viewers." The cameraman looked interested and she whispered into his ear.

Five minutes later Chase walked on stage with a microphone." The crowd aroused into cheers. Gabriella waited backstage with Sharpay, who had quickly changed her outfit and combed her hair.

"Didn't you enjoy that?!" The young man yelled into the mic. The crowd cheered again. He smiled and continued. "I would just like to thank you guys so much for coming out here to support my girlfriend and her fellow actors and actresses."

Gabriella gave Sharpay the signal and the drama queen flounced onto the stage. "Hi Chase." She said, "SURPRISE!"

"Look Mommy, it's that famous woman from England." A little girl cried.

"Um… who are you?" Chase asked his girlfriend coolly. Sharpay ran up and hugged him.

"You remember me Chasie." she said. "You came to London to visit me about ten times." She said. By this time, the audience was confused.

"I didn't." Chase said, "Gabriella Montez is my girlfriend." Gabriella was laughing hard backstage. Taylor was in the audience with the cameraman doing the same. Sharpay's acting had gone beyond perfect. There was no way Chase could out-show her. She would never let him.

"But you were dating me. You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend that was in a musical!!!" she screamed. Gabriella and Taylor stopped laughing. They knew fully well that Sharpay was no longer acting. "The act is over. How stupid do you think we are?! You thought that you could date the both of us on two different sides of the world and never get caught. Well newsflash…Gabriella and I have known each other since high school!" The audience went silent. The cameraman zoomed in on Sharpay.

"Yes, I hated her. A lot. That's because I was jealous of her and her boyfriend Troy Bolton." She ranted on. Chase stopped playing cool.

"Troy Bolton of the Red Hawks?" he asked, his jaw dropping.

"Yes." said Sharpay, returning to her original script. "But no matter what I did, they always loved each other." Chase pretended not to look offended, but he was. Gabriella walked on stage with her own mic.

"I made a big mistake." she began. "Troy was my first love and our future's split us apart. Then I met you, and I thought that the empty hole in my heart would be refilled. Then we became famous and we were just a couple for the camera. You weren't there for me and your love wasn't genuine anymore. I never knew how much of a liar you were until Sharpay came yesterday and we figured it out. You lied to both of us." She was deeply moved by Sharpay's unplanned outburst and her own words. A tear escaped from her eye and she walked up to him. "It's over." She said. Sharpay was moved also, but she wasn't finished yet. She stomped on his foot with her high heeled boot.

"It's over between us too!" she bellowed furiously. She and Gabriella linked arms and walked off stage triumphantly. "Oh, and Chase." said Sharpay. "That was just filmed for national television." Taylor and the cameraman waved as they made their way to meet them. Chase's face turned red and he stormed backstage. The audience was in shock. The lights turned back on in the theatre and they started to leave.

Gabriella was walking with her friends when Chase approached them.

"What was the meaning of that Gabriella? You just embarrassed me on stage." He said. His former girlfriend turned to face him.

"You hurt me so much; that I decided to give you a very big payback for all that you have done to me." She said coldly. "I usually don't go that far, but Sharpay and I have every right to expose you because I am tired of all of the lies. So you can have your gifts back and use them to buy another girl. " Taylor nodded in approval.

"Let's go guys." Gabriella said. They walked away, leaving the young man alone and angry.


	4. A Very Sudden Meeting

**You are the Music in Me**

**Chapter 3- A Very Sudden Meeting**

** This chapter is a break into the actual romance part of this story. I reviewed it twice to see if there was anything I could have changed, and I changed it a bit. I hope you like it!**

"Look at these cute purple pumps!" Sharpay squealed. The three girls were shopping together in Macy's on 34th street. It was the biggest store in the world. "And they are only two hundred dollars… how cheap." Gabriella and Taylor exchanged glances.

"Well, we have a whole four hours till we go back to the theatre." Taylor said.

"Good."Gabriella said, sighing. "I need as much time away from there as possible."

"That's too bad for you, I love the theatre." Sharpay stated beaming.

"We know." Taylor said sharply. Just then a familiar young man wearing a red baseball cap and sunglasses walked out of an elevator. He walked over to the shelf with very expensive basketball sneakers.** (Guess who!** Gabriella saw him and ran. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Taylor screamed.

Troy looked around at the different basketball sneakers. One pair was red and white… red and white. The official colors of East High and the East High Wildcats. Memories began to swirl through his mind. Gabriella, Chad… He stopped. If only he could meet Gabriella again. He glanced around the shelf and the memories cleared away. He checked the price tag on the sneakers. The pair was a hundred dollars.

"Oh well." he thought. He turned around and bumped right into a young brunette. He couldn't see her face. It looked like she had run into him. His head throbbed. He helped the girl up and gasped. There stood Gabriella.

"Fancy meeting you here Mr. Bolton." She said, giggling. He pulled her into a tight hug.

"I missed you so much." He said. He let her go. "I was just thinking about you."

"I missed you too, but… I mean, you probably have a girlfriend." The young actress said, looking away. Taylor stood a few feet away and was smiling.

"What about you and Chase: the greatest couple ever." Troy whispered, feeling uncomfortable.

"I, um, broke up with him on live television." Gabriella said. "He really hurt me Troy."

"Whose plan was that?" Troy asked, "Taylor's?" "Sharpay's?"

"It was mine actually." Gabriella spoke. Troy could barely contain his shock.

"Yours?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Wow, you have definitely changed." Troy said.

"So, what brought you to New York?" The brunette asked curiously.

"Well, I broke up with my girlfriend from college and I have been stressed out with basketball and everything. So my mom surprised me by buying me a ticket here to New York. She also got me a ticket to a musical. But she wouldn't tell me which one it was." Gabriella's face lit up.

"Can I see it?" she asked. Troy dug through his wallet and gave it to her.

"You're coming to see my musical!"She yelped softly. Troy shook his head. He had known his mom was up to something. He was happy though. Gabriella's smile was absolutely dazzling.

"I am so glad that I am." The young athlete admitted. "I can't wait to see you up on that stage. You are a great actress and a great singer." Gabriella blushed.

"Thanks." She was burning to ask him something, but she remained silent. Then, as if Troy had known her question, he asked:

"Ms. Montez, will you accompany me to dinner afterwards?"

"That would be great." Gabriella answered sincerely. "I'll see you later." She walked over to join Taylor and Sharpay. Troy felt dazed. Maybe everything would work out after all.

**Tell me what you think. What do you think their date should be like? **** Let me know****DGurl**** :D**


	5. Numerous Feelings

**You are the Music ****In**** Me**

**Chapter 4- ****Numerous Feelings**

**I am sorry that my chapters ha****ve been so short lately. For those interested, I have another story out called: In Need of Someone to Love. You should totally check it out. Please keep reviewing. I look forward to reviews. ****This chapter doesn't include the first date. I'm still working on it. I'm talking a lot ****I'll shut up now so you can read the next chapter.**

"Hummmmm hmmm hmm." Gabriella hummed. It was the following day and she was going through her closet. She was going to toss her purple handbag onto her bed when she felt something in it. She zipped it open and found her old digital camera. She removed it from the sac and turned it on to take a glance at her pictures. Taylor had gotten her a newer camera for her birthday and she hadn't used this one since. She began to scroll through the pictures, but then she saw one that made her stop. It was a photo of her and Troy hugging. She recognized the scene immediately. It was the day they graduated from East High. That moment was one of the saddest of her life. She closed her eyes and tried to remember.

_**Flashback**_

_ "Gabriella Montez." Principal Matsui called. Gabriella walked up to the podium. Her mom, Taylor, Chad, Ryan, Troy and the rest of her colleagues clapped enthusiastically. She smiled weakly, not knowing whether to be happy or sad. Mr.Matsui shook her hand and her mom snapped the shot. Gabriella climbed down the stairs thinking. __She__ and Taylor __were going to college together, but Troy was going somewhere else in Albuquerque. She took her seat beside Taylor and waited for Troy's turn. When Troy went up to accept his diploma__, everyone whooped and screamed loudly. The Wildcats were standing and clapping. _

_"Go Wildcats!" he shouted. More cheering followed. _

_AFTER the ceremony, Troy and Gabriella walked outside to the front of the school. Gabriella could feel her eyes welling with tears. Troy brought her close to him. He didn't know what to say._

_"I'm leaving for New York tomorrow." Gabriella sniffled. "I am going to miss you so much." _

_"Me too." Her boyfriend admitted, "__but__ that doesn't mean that we cant have a long distance relationship." _

_"Troy, I'd love to… but long distance relationships don't last." Troy's heart broke. _

_"I will always love you and think about you." He murmured__, rubbing her back affectionately. _

_"Me too." Gabriella said. "But the future has arrived. You have your scholarship and I have mine. We did what we had to do for the past, but now our paths are taking us separate ways. We have to follow them." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. Troy wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. A few feet away, Ms. Montez took their picture with Gabriella's camera._

_**End of Flashback**_

"Gabriella, come on… we have to go to the theater!" Taylor called from the outside her door. Gabriella sighed and put her camera away. She stared out of the window for a moment and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. She wanted to make things right with Troy… she had to.

TROY sat in his hotel room at The Plaza Hotel. He needed some advice and encouragement. He took out his cell phone and called his dad. Coach Bolton answered almost immediately.

"Hey son." He said.

"Hey dad." Troy replied.

"How's it going in New York?"His father asked.

Troy gave his father the rundown and then asked his dad the big question:

"How do I plan the perfect date for Gabriella and me?" he asked. "I want it to be special, but not too overdone."

The coach listened carefully and gave him a phone number.

"Call this place and make reservations. It's brand new and very simple. It overlooks the Hudson river and is very cozy. Someone recommended it to me." He replied.

"Thanks dad." Troy said, gratefully.

"No problem. Just remember, they claimed that Gabriella and that kid Chase were the greatest couple ever. But in the end Gabriella dumped him. You are the greatest couple ever. She still loves you Troy. I have faith in you. So go on out and get her back." His father encouraged.

"Thanks again dad." Troy said, confidently. He hung up and dialed the number for the restaurant. His father always gave great advice.

IT was finally show time. Gabriella and Taylor were backstage giggling and chatting.

"Chad is coming tonight." Taylor whispered excitedly, adjusting her clip-on microphone. "We're going to Red Lobster."

"Awesome! It looks like we both have great plans for tonight." Gabriella chirped.

"Get on stage!" the director barked. The friends ran on stage to their places and got into their poses silently. They heard the narrator begin his lines. Then the curtains rose and the music came on. Gabriella emerged from behind the other cast members and began to sing, feeling twice the energy. She had to be absolutely perfect tonight. After all, her perfect man was in the audience!

**Tell me what you think! ****DGurl :D**


	6. I'll Love You For You

**You are the Music In Me**

**Chapter 5****- I'll Love You For You**

**Hey guys! Be warned, this chapter is really long! Or at least when I wrote it, it was. I am really busy with Regents Prep right now. For those of you in the U.S and are in eight****h**** grade and above, you will know what it is. I hope you like this chapter and get the meaning. ENJOY AND REVIEW!!!**

It was the final scene. Gabriella and her co-star Max were holding hands. **(Max is just a random guy… not another guy that loves Gabriella. Or maybe not…)**

"I may act like a freak

Or be kind of a geek

But promise me

That you'll love me for me!" Gabriella sang.

"You may act like a freak

Or be kind of a geek

But I promise you

That I'll love for you!" Max sang back.

Gabriella twirled into Max and they stared at each other while doing a fancy jazz square and singing. _**Bold Italics is Gabriella**_, and**bold is Max.**** (But only for this part.)**

"_**You and me, our love will shine**_."

"**Forever and ever you will always be mine**" Max picked Gabriella up and spun her in the air. The whole cast emerged from backstage and shimmied onto the stage. They all formed a kick-line.

"This much will always be true!!!!" They chorused together.

"That you'll love me for me and I'll love you for you!!!!" Max and Gabriella sang, hitting the last chord triumphantly. Troy stood up and began to clap as hard as he could. The audience joined in and the cast bowed. Gabriella and Taylor hugged and ran backstage.

"Okay, time to get ready for our dates." Taylor singsonged. Gabriella followed her friend to their dressing room.

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Troy waited outside nervously, holding a bouquet of pink and red roses. _Calm down Troy. _He told himself. The reservations were already made and he already called twice to confirm them. Then a new thought crossed his mind: What if the maitre'd spelled his name wrong? He reached for his phone, but held back. The last thing he wanted was for the maitre'd to think that he was insane. He leaned his head against the wall. Everything was going to be fine… if only he could believe that.

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Taylor applied some soft blush to Gabriella's cheeks and closed her makeup bag.

"How do I look?" Gabriella asked.

"Perfect." Taylor replied. Gabriella studied her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Taylor noticed that her friend was not so excited anymore.

"What's wrong?" she quizzed.

"I'm nervous." Gabriella admitted, putting on her blazer.

"You performed in front of over 200 people today and you weren't nervous." Taylor pointed out.

"But, I was the one who broke up with Troy. I don't know how…" Gabriella began. She was cut off by Taylor.

"You love him still and he asked you on this date, so he obviously loves you too. Everything will work out, you'll see." With that she pulled Gabriella out of the dressing room and out to the back door. The two hugged and Taylor returned to their dressing room. Gabriella took a deep breath. She could hear Taylor's heels clip-clopping away and her director yelling at the stage crew. She took another deep breath and pushed the door open. Troy was standing there holding roses.

"Here, these are for you." He said, handing them to her.

"Thanks." Gabriella said shyly. She took his hand and they walked to his **(rental) **car. Troy's whole body was tingling from her simple gesture. He had missed her so much. He opened the passenger door for her.

"Thanks." Gabriella repeated, as she sat down. Troy shut the door and strolled over to the driver's side.

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Taylor locked the dressing room and practically ran to the side exit door. She tapped her foot impatiently and waited. Five minutes later she heard a soft knock. She grinned and pushed open the door.

"Hi Chad." She said.

"Hey cutie." He replied.

"I knew you were going to be late." Taylor stated.

"Better late than never." Chad chuckled. His girlfriend **(Taylor)** kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Lets go." She murmured. Chad put his arms around her and they headed to Red Lobster.

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Gabriella got out of the car and stared at the restaurant. It was pretty big. In giant blue letters the sign read: Z E K E A L. She had never seen or heard of this place before.

"It's a new restaurant." Troy explained.

"Oh." The brunette replied nodding. She followed Troy into the restaurant.

"Reservations for Bolton." Troy said to the maitre'd.

"Ah, the youngster who called twice to confirm." The older man said.

"Yes, that's me." Troy admitted feeling foolish. The maitre'd noticed his embarrassment.

"That was a very smart decision." He said.

"Thank you." said Troy, feeling better. A waiter picked up two menus and led the young people to the top floor. In the corner was a table for two. Up above was a giant skylight. A candle and an empty vase with water had been placed on the table. Gabriella put her flowers into the vase and smiled up at Troy. She looked so gorgeous in the candlelight. **By the way, my name is French for candle for those interested.)**

"Here are your menus." The maitre'd said, placing them on the table.

"Thank you." The young couple replied at the same time. Gabriella giggled and Troy grinned at her. It was going to be a great date.

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"It's going to be a long wait." said the woman behind the desk. Her name tag read Nina.

"How long?" asked Taylor.

"About an hour and a half." Nina answered.

"No way!!!" Taylor screeched. She grabbed Chad and pulled him out of the restaurant.

"Come on Tay, its Red Lobster." Chad begged.

"So what, I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast. I'm not waiting any longer!" Taylor argued.

"Fine." said Chad, disappointed. "You know… let's go to my apartment. Zeke came over yesterday and made some baked ziti **(I LOVE BAKED ZITI!) **and that delicious crème brulee stuff."

"Okay." Taylor agreed. They linked hand and headed for Chad's apartment.

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"Here are your appetizers." said Sarah the waitress.

"Thanks." Gabriella said, picking up her fork.

"A lot." Troy added. Sarah smiled.

"What a typical couple, always finishing each others sentences." She said, making Gabriella and Troy look at each other. "I'll be back with your dinners in a few. Enjoy." She walked away. Gabriella stabbed at a tomato slice hungrily and put it into her mouth.

"You were great tonight." Troy spoke up. Gabriella blushed.

"Thanks Troy." She said. "So how is life for you at home in Albuquerque?"

"Stressful." Troy admitted. "I'm just glad that I can spend time with you." Gabriella grinned and ate more salad. Troy wanted to run his hands over her soft dark hair and kiss her, she looked so beautiful. Her hair was softly wound around her face and her brown eyes sparkled.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She said, getting up. Troy nodded and watched her as she walked away.

Gabriella hummed to herself as she made her way through the tables. Just then a waiter rested his portable table down and placed a bowl of steaming soup and a bowl of ice cream onto it. Gabriella glanced back at Troy and before she knew it, her foot was caught in the table and she was falling flat on her face. The table tipped over and the ice cream and soup fell on top of her. The cold and creamy mint ice cream made a huge green blotch on her white dress. The soup ruined her curls and her hair was sopping wet. Everyone was staring at her.

"Isn't that Gabriella Montez?" she heard a woman ask. Her **(Gabriella's)** cheeks burned with embarrassment. The waiter helped her up and she ran off to the bathroom without stopping. Troy ran after her calling her name.

"Gabriella! Gabriella!!!" he yelled. Gabriella kept running until she couldn't run anymore. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Troy saw her and stopped running. "Gabriella… I." he began.

"Just go away." Gabriella muttered tearfully.

"It's going to be okay, it was just a little accident."

"A little!" The actress roared. "I'm a musical actress and I just managed to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. I'm such a klutz!"

"Hey, hey… you are not a klutz." Troy replied softly.

"I messed up my hair, ruined my dress. I look like a freak." Gabriella wailed. Troy thought for a moment and began to sing:

"You may act like a freak

Or be kind of a geek

But I promise you

That I'll love for you."

Gabriella looked up and smiled. "Really?" she asked.

Troy touched her cheek affectionately.

"You are smart, beautiful, and kind. You are not a klutz, a geek, or a freak. Even if you were, I would still love you."

"I love you Troy." Gabriella whispered. Troy wrapped his arms around her and they kissed. What they didn't see was two shooting stars flying parallel to each other in the sky above.

**AWWWW!!! How romantic! I'm really sorry if this chapter seemed rushed. It wasn't as good as I had hoped. I love it though. I put a little Chaylor in there and trust me… there will be a lot more!! Notice the pattern with the shooting stars. Please review and let me know what you think. ****DGurl :D**


	7. Every Time We Touch

**You Are ****The**** Music In Me**

**Chapter 5- Every Time We Touch**

**Hiiiii! I tried to update as soon as I could. Forgive me if you think I'm not, but I ****have a**** lot of tests to study for. Eighth grade is tough! I included some Chaylor for all of you Chaylor fans including myself. Rock on, read, and review!!!**

Taylor woke up with a start. The sun shone brightly through the window, even though the curtains were down. She sat up and felt Chad roll over. Last night had been wonderful. Even though Red Lobster was not included, Zeke's baked ziti and crème brulee had done the trick. Chad had convinced her to sleep over, even though it didn't take much convincing. She told him that Troy was visiting and suggested that he should call him. He agreed quickly to that and planned on calling Zeke too. She slowly got out of bed so that she wouldn't wake her lover and tiptoed out of the bedroom. The apartment was huge. According to Chad it was made for a family, even though Taylor thought that an apartment was not a good place to raise a family. She walked into the bright kitchen and dashed over to her pocketbook. She almost tripped over Chad's sleeping puppy G-Dawg, which was a fancy name for Good Dog, and zipped open her pocketbook. Inside of it was one of her most prized possessions: her new Sidekick LX. She wasn't fond of the Sidekick series but Chad had the phone custom made for her. It was red and white with a gold diamond-studded T on the back. It had lots of pictures of her and Chad together. Chad's phone was the same except it was blue and white and read 'Chad' in big, bold, blue letters on the back. She picked her phone up and searched through her contacts. Then the name came into view. She pressed CALL and waited.

GABRIELLA'S cell phone rang.

"Call from… Taylor." The automatic voice announced. **(Isn't that cool? My phone does that!)** Gabriella rushed to answer it. She wanted to tell Taylor how her night was and find out how hers was.

"Hey Tay." She chirped.

"Hey Gabi." Came Taylor's voice. "How was your night?"

"It was good, then bad, then better." Gabriella gushed. "Troy and I kissed." She could remember the moment perfectly.

"Really?" Taylor squealed loudly, forgetting that Chad and G-Dawg were asleep. "I told you it would all work out. What else happened?"

"I want to tell you in person." Gabriella said. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"So are you at Troy's or is Troy at our place with you?" Her friend asked hopefully.

"I'm at our place _alone_." Gabriella replied. "But don't worry; Troy is coming over for lunch. We're taking it slow for now."

"Oh, so should I come home before lunch or after lunch?" Taylor asked slyly. Gabriella giggled at Taylor's question.

"After lunch would be great Tay." she answered, leaning on the front door. "Besides, I know that you and Chad want to spend more time together." Taylor heard footsteps behind her and felt strong arms around her waist. She smiled and looked up into the loving brown eyes of Chad.

"Good morning. I'm talking to Gabriella." She mouthed, motioning to the phone. Chad nodded and nuzzled her neck. Taylor smiled and kissed him softly. Chad returned her kiss.

"Hello… hello… hellooo." Gabriella called. "Earth to Taylor." Taylor let go of Chad and put the phone back to her ear.

"Sorry Gabi, I was just saying good morning to Chad." Taylor replied.

"Hey Gabriella." Chad said loud enough for her to hear.

"Hi Chad." Gabriella answered. "I guess I'll leave you guys alone now. Bye Tay."

"Bye Gabriella, I'll see you later."

"Bye Taylor." Click. Gabriella heard Taylor hang up and did the same. She glanced at the time. It was ten o clock. Troy was coming at twelve sharp. She went into the kitchen and took out all of the ingredients for their lunch. The only things she heard were the echoing of her footsteps and the Russian music coming from downstairs. She ran over to the radio and turned it on. 'Every Time We Touch' by Cascada poured out of the speakers. Gabriella began to sway her hips to the pounding techno beat and sang along to the chorus.

**"****Cuz every time we touch, I get this feeling and every time we kiss I swear I could fly.****Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last, need you by my side.****Cuz every time we touch, I feel the static and every time we kiss I reach for the sky.****Can't you hear my heart beat so, I can't let you ****go.**** Want you in my life."**

As she sang she realized how much she loved Troy, and how good he made her feel. She sang with her heart and she meant every word. By the time it finished she was in tears. The song was powerful. So very powerful. She returned to the kitchen and combined the ingredients in a pan. Lunch was going to be great!!!

IT was almost twelve. Gabriella looked into her bedroom mirror to check her super simple outfit. She wore a blue long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Her hair was pulled into a cute ponytail. The final touch was the T necklace that Troy had given her a few years ago. She held it for a moment, letting her memories take her away. Suddenly the doorbell rang. She hurried over to the door. Feeling her heart floating in her chest she opened the door expecting Troy. She frowned when she saw who it really was.

Chase Marcus stood there. He was smiling arrogantly.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked coldly.

"I came to call truce." Her ex answered. Gabriella knew better than to listen to him. He was so mad that night she broke with him and now here he was grinning and wanting to call truce? That didn't click. She peered over his shoulder and down the hall. There standing behind Henry was a tall red-headed woman. She wore expensive clothing.

"You just never quit, do you?" Gabriella said, shaking her head. She closed her door and went into her room. There stood a big bag with all of the gifts that Chase had given her. She picked it up and stormed back to the apartment door. With slight difficulty she swung it open and threw the bag at him. Chase grunted and picked it up.

"Go ahead and give these to your other girlfriends!" she yelled, slamming the door.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the door.

"GO AWAY CHASE!" the young actress screamed.

"Gabriella, it's me Troy." Troy said. Gabriella's heart leaped and she opened the door. Troy came in and noticed that her eyes were red. He touched her cheek.

"Is everything okay?"He asked. Gabriella felt as if electricity had been sparked through her body.

"Well, Chase came over today." She began. Troy looked directly into her eyes.

"What happened?"

Gabriella shut the door behind him and brought him into the kitchen.

"He claimed that he wanted to call truce…"

WHEN Gabriella finished Troy put his fork down. They were eating their wonderful lunch together.

"What a jerk." He remarked. "I can't believe he already moved on. I'm glad you broke up with him."

"I know, but I can't believe I started dating him in the first place." Gabriella said. "I'm really sorry Troy. I should have never broken up with you. I made a big mistake."

"It's alright. You were right, long distance relationships don't last." Troy replied. "But I'm glad we're together again. Let's put the past behind us and continue where we left off. After all, love never ends… right?" He held out his hand.

"Right." Gabriella agreed, taking it.

THAT night after Taylor had come home and they exchanged stories, Gabriella lay in bed and dreamed about her and Troy's future as a couple. The whole time a meaningful verse played through her head over and over:

**"****Cuz**** every time we touch, I get this feeling.****And every time we kiss I swear I could fly.****Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.****Need you by my side****"**

**How did you like it? I thought it was great. I hope you can sense the emotions in the chapter. I think that will be the last time we hear from Chase in a while. Or do you want me to bring him back? Let me know!!! **

**Every Time We Touch by Cascada is one of my favorite songs. The techno version of course. I just thought the song's words highlighted Gabriella's feelings for Troy. Please review!!! **


	8. Love, Lust, and Lies

**You Are the Music in Me**

**Chapter 7**

**Love, Lust, and Lies**

**This chapter goes out to my loyal fans. I am so busy with my graduation coming up, my Regents exams, exit projects and so on. I couldn't wait to release this. This chapter is dedicated to my best and only big sis 4-ever: xoxMusicalxox. For those of you who love Vanessa Hudgens, I made an awesome video on her. It's on my YouTube. Username: disneygurl054, the video is called: My Scrapbook by Vanessa Hudgens. You'll love it!! And now…. Here's my next chapter.**

TROY sat outside of the Plaza in Central Park. He just sat and watched the nature. Gabriella and Taylor were at the theatre rehearsing and he didn't have Chad's number. Just then his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

"Hello. Troy Bolton speaking." He said.

"Hello Mr. Bolton." came a familiar voice in a fake accent.

"Hey Chad." Troy said. What a coincidence. "What's up man? I haven't heard from you in like forever."

"I was just about to say the same. I'm okay. Tay and I are really hitting it. So why are you in New York? Gabriella?" Chad prodded. "

"Well, I just came here for peace and quiet…"

"Peace and quiet in the city that never sleeps?!"

"Um… you know what I mean. The Red Hawks are a stressing team. They are not as great as us Wildcats. I didn't expect to see Gabriella here. We just met at…" Troy was cut off by Chad again.

"I know, I know, Tay told me. She was really excited. How long are you staying?"

"Till Saturday."

"Wow… only two days left." Chad whistled. "Is that enough time for you to sweep Gabriella off her knees and get her back?" he chuckled.

"I think I can do it." Troy said.

"Well, I got to go. My producer wants me back in the studio. But I wanted to know if you could join us at a party tonight at this new restaurant Zekeal."

"Sure… I actually took Gabriella there for our date." Troy said.

"Okay… tonight... 7:00 sharp. Ask for the Baylor party. Talk to you later." There was a click. Troy leaned back on the bench. Finally he gets to hang with his boys.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

GABRIELLA watched as Taylor and Max went over their scene for the third time with the vocalist director, Gina.

"Again! Louder Ms. McKessie! Mr. Hartwell… sing louder and learn to move around more." Gina instructed. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"This is not opening night Gina." She huffed.

"But this is our last show. It must be spectacular!" Gina raved. Gabriella giggled. Gina sounded like Ms.Darbus.

"And you are an idiot." Taylor mocked in a hushed tone. Gabriella giggled harder.

"Do you find something funny Ms. Montez?" Gina asked, whirling around.

"Um, no Ms. Darb… I mean, Gina." Gabriella stammered. Taylor laughed catching Gabriella's mistake.

"Focus!" Gina snapped clapping her fingers together. Gabriella sighed and glanced at her watch. She couldn't wait till rehearsal was over.

TROY walked into the long hallway.

"Hello Mr. Bolton." Henry said. "Ms. Montez isn't back yet so I guess you can just stick around. I am going for my afternoon break. She'll be here soon."

"Okay, thanks Henry."

"No problem." Henry answered. He liked Troy a whole lot better than Chase and trusted him too. She could tell that this wasn't Chase's idea of love. It was real. He got into the elevator and headed downstairs. Just then the door of the emergency staircase opened. Troy saw who it was and his eyes narrowed.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my girlfriend's temporary man." The other man said suavely, swaggering over to Troy.

"What do you want Chase?" Troy asked. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Oh yeah, who's going to stop me?" Chase replied snidely.

"I am." Troy said, grabbing Chase's shirt collar. Chase put his hand into his bulging pocket.

"Does it matter, she'll get over you. She is still rightfully mine." He said. Troy was furious.

"NO! Gabriella is mine! She belongs to me all right. Me! You had her, you lost her. Your loss. Get over it. It just means you weren't good enough." He snarled. Chase stared him straight in the eye.

"Oh yeah, prove it. I tried to make love to Gabriella before but she wouldn't oblige." Chase said. He was surprisingly calm, even though Troy's eyes felt like laser beams. "So, if you make love with her by tonight I'll leave you guys alone. That will prove that you are the better man. "

"Fine." Troy said. He was so heated up, he couldn't help it. "I will make love to her tonight. I will claim her as mine once and for all. "

"Good." Chase said, grinning devilishly. He shook himself out of Troy's grasp and began to walk away. He didn't even take two steps before Troy called to him,

"You stay away from her tonight or… or…"

"Or you'll what?" Chase prodded on. "Throw basketballs at me?" He chuckled.

I'll kill you." Troy growled.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

TROY walked into Zekeal that very night by himself. He had stormed away from her apartment after his argument with Chase. The place was totally silent except for the music booming and the feet shuffling upstairs.

"The place is closed to the public." The maitre'd explained as he took Troy's coat. "The boss really wanted an exclusive party."

"I guess so." Troy replied. _How did Chad pull this guy's strings?_ He wondered. He walked up stairs.

"Hey dude! Just in time for Happy Hour!" Chad whooped, handing him a glass of wine. Troy stared at it and drank it in one gulp. He glanced around the room. In a corner on the other side of the room, Gabriella, Sharpay, and Taylor were talking and giggling. Troy grinned and began striding towards them.

"So, how'd you fall in love with Zeke?" Taylor asked Sharpay. She was still confused.

"Well, I was really upset with Chase cheating on me and all. So I came here for a drink and he saw me. So as low as I was, I allowed myself to sit with him. He got me a cookie and we talked. He really cared about me and how I felt. No one has ever listened to me as well as he did. So we became attached and decided to start dating." Sharpay explained.

"But aren't you going back to the U.K?" Gabriella asked, remembering her and Troy's discussion on long-distance relationships. Sharpay shook her blonde head furiously.

"Nope. I'm getting my own place here." She said. Gabriella and Taylor glanced at each other not knowing whether to be happy or upset. "That way, Zekie and I could be together." Sharpay continued. She locked eyes with Zeke and blew him a kiss. Zeke, as besotted as he was with her, "caught" it and then sent her a kiss back. Sharpay "caught" it and sighed.

"He's sooo handsome." She breathed. Taylor rolled her eyes. Sharpay was so over dramatic.

"Hey." said a fourth voice. Sharpay and Taylor smiled. Gabriella turned. Troy stood behind her.

"Hi Troy." She said, kissing him lightly on the lips. Troy almost collapsed by the sweetness of her small gesture.

"Hi." He replied. They stared at each other intently as though nothing else existed.

"Troy!!" Chad yelled. "We're going to the bar to watch a game." He ran over and ran back towards Zeke and the guys with Troy in tow.

"I'll see you later." He called, as Chad dragged him down the carpeted stairs.

"Okay!" Gabriella called back. She sat down with her friends.

"Soooooo…." Sharpay began.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"YAAY!" Jason yelped excitedly, as his team scored the winning kick. Chad, Zeke, and some of the other guys glared at him. Their team was losing. Troy slumped back into his chair. He wasn't into football. Instead he was thinking about Chase and Gabriella. And what he'd said earlier. "I'll kill you." "Gabriella belongs to me!" "I will make love to her tonight. I will claim her as mine once and for all. " He wished he could take it all back.

"Sooo… Troy's leaving on Saturday. What do you say? A toast or a ceremonial Wildcat handshake?" Chad asked, holding up his beer.

"I say both!" Jason yipped. They all began to do the handshake all around. Then they made the toast.

"To Taylor and I!" Chad said.

"To my future with Sharpay and this restaurant!" Zeke cheered.

"To the rest of my life as a bachelor and the winning team!" Jason shouted. More glaring.

"To Gabriella and I!" Troy announced. They clinked glasses and drank up. Then Troy realized something.

"Zeke… you own this restaurant?!" he asked in shock.

"No duh. Zeke… Zekeal. I am the owner, but I spend most of my time in the kitchen.

"Naturally." Chad put in.

"Congrats man!" Troy shouted, slapping high five. Chad glanced at his cell phone.

"Let's jet. I have to go to the studio tomorrow." He said.

"All right." Zeke agreed. With that, the guys ran up stairs to get their girls and go home.

A few minutes later, the group stood outside of Zekeal. Zeke gallantly offered Sharpay "a ride home" and they had just gotten into his new car.

"Bye Zeke!" Troy called. "Bye Sharpay!" He watched them drive off together and turned to Gabriella, Taylor, and Chad.

"Well. I guess we'd better get going." He said. Taylor snuggled up into Chad's shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm sleeping over at Chad's tonight." She said, winking at Gabriella. Gabriella grinned back.

"Okay." She said. She and Taylor hugged tightly. They let each other go and smiled.

"Bye." Both couples called to each other as they went their separate ways.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

GABRIELLA sat back on the couch fifteen minutes later. She pulled off her shoes and sighed. All of a sudden the lights dimmed till they were off. Gabriella looked around

Troy sat beside her. The place was dark and cozy. The neighbor upstairs was playing Mozart and the music floated into the apartment. Gabriella stared at Troy seeing his ultramarine eyes cutting through the darkness. Her white earrings glittered. She could see the longing and the hunger in his eyes. She suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. As she was about to pull back, he pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss. His tongue rolled in her mouth. She moaned delightfully. They kissed breathlessly. Troy reached for the zipper of her dress, causing a shock to make its way through her body. She knew what he wanted. But should she? Soon her dress slid off the couch and he began kissing her neck. Gabriella melted. She couldn't say no. She couldn't. Gabriella remained motionless as Troy began to remove her bra.

"Oh, Gabriella." Troy murmured. He kissed her heatedly making her heart flutter. Then he picked her up and carried her to her bed. As he laid her down she began to tremble. He reached for her hand and kissed her reassuringly.

"It will be okay Gabi. I promise." He whispered to her. He removed her final pieces of clothing and did the same. Gabriella waited with baited breath. She was excited and terrified all at once. But she trusted Troy. She refused Chase because he was just using her. But Troy was different. He really loved her. Troy began smothering her with kisses, making her gasp. He slipped himself into her. Gabriella fought the urge to scream. Tears rolled down her cheeks as they moved together.

"I'm sorry Gabi. I sorry it has to hurt." Troy whispered between kisses. Gabriella whimpered in pain and pleasure. Their lips parted and Gabriella cried out. As they collapsed breathlessly, Troy felt one half of him screaming: "In your face Chase!" And his other half was saying: "What have you done?"

Gabriella clung to her pillow feeling weak and exhausted. Her heart was beginning to slow its pace. Troy looked away feeling guilty.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He knew it would hurt.

"As long as I'm with you, I will always be okay." Gabriella said hoarsely. Troy turned and gathered her into his arms letting her bury her head into his chest.

"I'm glad you came back Troy." She whispered.

"Me too." Troy said softly. "Me too."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"THE next morning Gabriella woke up happy and energized. Like everything in her life was complete. Troy lay next to her snoozing quietly. She turned on the TV and flipped E.T **(once again, Entertainment Tonight)** on. That's when her happiness and bliss faded. The one person she did not want to see was on: Chase Marcus.

"New news. Twenty-two year old actor Chase Marcus finally came back into the public eye this morning telling interviewers of how he was threatened by his ex's new boyfriend , twenty-three year old basketball champ Troy Bolton for wanting to see her.

"I just wanted to see her and talk things out." Said Chase in a video clip. Gabriella leaned closer to the screen, not believing her ears.

"This recording was given to us by an anonymous source." The announcer continued. Gabriella listened intently, trying to ensure herself that Chase was lying. But sure enough it was Troy's voice.

"Gabriella is mine! She belongs to me! You had her, you lost her. Too bad. Your loss. Get over it. I will make love to her tonight and claim her as mine once and for all! You stay away from her… or I'll kill you!" The recording ended. Gabriella felt tears in her eyes. She felt empty. Troy didn't make love to her because he loved her. He only did it to show Chase that she belonged to him. He was becoming like Chase himself. A stupid, selfish pig. She began to sob pitifully, feeling extremely betrayed, hurt, and used.

**Thank you guys for sticking around and waiting patiently... or impatiently. I'll try to update soon. Please comment!!**

**DGurl:D**


	9. His World

**You Are the Music in Me**

**Chapter 8**

**His World**

**Hey guys! I haven't updated in a long time and I am still receiving story-alerts and stuff for my stories and that makes me happy even when I'm really upset. So thank you so much!!! I'm putting this story on hold for awhile because I have a lot of schoolwork to do. So those of you who really enjoy it I'm sorry but I know you understand. Once again I want to thank my big sis 4ever Si for checking this over for me. So here it is….**

Gabriella was anxious and confused. She bustled around the kitchen in frenzy, cleaning and polishing her way through everything and anything. Troy still hadn't awoken yet, so it gave her plenty of time. "Um…let's see…I can't… but he's… I love…it's not…I wish…WHY!" she screamed, throwing down a nearby stack of books. More tears followed. She collapsed onto the floor.

"Gabi…are you okay?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway. Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to say everything is okay; she wanted to just run into his arms and pretend last night had never happened.

"No, Troy. I'm not okay."

"Are you still…um, sore? I'll make breakfast if you want and you could just go back to bed."

"I wish I could do that." Gabriella she murmured desolately, "but I can't." She turned to look at him, her heart convulsing. The confusion and misunderstanding etched in her lover's eyes made her regret what was coming next.

"Troy… do you love me?" The young woman asked.

"Of course." Troy stated offering her a soft smile. "Why would you even question that?"

"I saw ET this morning Troy. I heard what you said to Chase, about claiming me once and for all. What's the deal Troy!! Am I really just a prize?!"

Troy felt sick. "What are you talking about?" he asked, even though he already had an idea. Gabriella turned on the TV and played the clip again, which she had recorded.

Troy listened as his angry voice played over the speakers. He gulped and took a deep breath. "It was on ET?!" he asked. It was impossible. No one was around when he and Chase were "chatting"… unless….

Troy didn't know how to handle the situation, how could he even...it wasn't as if...he sighed, "Look Gabi, I love you so much babe and I want to clear things out. So I'll just go back to the hotel and leave you alone for awhile. I'm sorry." He said. With that he grabbed his wallet and his keys and left. He ran past Henry and straight into the elevator. There was a lump in his chest. He really cared about Gabriella. She was his world. It was fate that they were reunited after so long and it killed him to think that it would soon be over. He scanned through his phone quickly and found the number he was looking for. He dialed it furiously.

"Hey Chad, is Taylor there?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

"Wait…so you really said those things?" Taylor queried. She sat on Chad's sofa looking at Troy seriously. Chad joined her almost instantly and put an arm around her. She shrugged it off.

"Yeah… but I didn't say it that way. Chase approached me earlier that day and said he would leave us alone…if…" He played with his fingers, embarrassed. He didn't want to actually say it. He could feel his cheeks burning.

"If you had sex with Gabriella?" Taylor said simply.

"Uh, yeah." Troy admitted surprised. "How do you know? Did you watch ET?"

"No… but it sounds just like Chase. So you got caught up and agreed to do it."

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "I was going to do it eventually but Chase's comments pushed me."

"Well. I'm going to see what I could find out about this so-called 'anonymous' source." Taylor said, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Chad asked.

"I'm going to Marcus Enterprises." Taylor stated grinning. Chad's eyes widened.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

Taylor stood outside Marcus Enterprises in which Chase and his brother TJ owned. She took a deep breath. She hoped her disguise worked. A brown wig had been secured onto her head. She wore glasses and bright red lipstick. She carried a notepad and a pen. A tape recorder hid in her pocket. She looked around one last time and walked in. She was a reporter from E! News and she wanted the latest scoop. That was the alibi Troy had come up with. She took another deep breath and walked towards the main desk. You're an actress, and you know confidence is everything, she thought to herself, if you believe it then so will they!

"Hello." She said to the receptionist in a thick British accent. "I'm here to see Chase Marcus. I'm from E! News UK and I'd like to speak to him."

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"Um, I believe so."

"What's your name?"

"Betty Jane Johnston." Taylor lied. The name sounded so fake to her she wanted to laugh. But she held firm.

"There is no one by that name on our appointment list." The receptionist droned. "So please leave and come back when an appointment has been set up."

"But I… um, can I use your bathroom?" Taylor stuttered helplessly.

"That is the oldest trick in the book." The receptionist said. Taylor frowned as the woman continued, "Do you think I'm stupid? Please leave." With that she turned to another guest. Taylor took a few steps towards the door. Then after checking the receptionist's focus she darted into the corridor behind the front desk. She pressed the elevator button. The light flashed on, the elevator was all the way at the 29th floor. No way was she waiting for that. She opened the door to the stairwell and made her way upstairs. She was just about to reach the 4th floor when she heard a familiar voice.

"Yeah man. I cannot believe it either. It totally worked. Bolton's getting the boot today." Taylor smiled. Chase Marcus himself was standing by the door smiling arrogantly, his PDA by his ear. Taylor pulled out her tape recorder and began recording.

"Yeah, so I went over to the apartment during that idiot security guard's lunch break and waited by the door. Then that bastard Troy was there and I pushed all of his buttons. Plus I recorded the whole thing! I know… totally genius. And Bolton didn't suspect a thing!! What a dumbass! Yeah. So anyway, I edited it and sent it to ET this morning and then spread my sad wittle stowey about how big Twoy Bowton thweatened me." Chase went on, totally oblivious. Taylor stood there silently holding the recorder as close as she possibly could to Chase without him seeing it. All of a sudden Taylor's wig fell to the ground.

"Wait dude, I think someone's there." Chase whispered. He pressed 'END' on his PDA and walked forward. At the same time Taylor reached down and grabbed her wig. She began to run. She had gotten enough evidence.

"HEY YOU!!!" Chase yelled, seeing her face. He took off after her. Taylor ran as fast as she could without tripping. She burst through the stairwell door and through the lobby. The receptionist dropped her donut to the floor dumbfounded. Chase picked up speed bursting out of the main entrance behind Taylor. What he would do when he got his hands on her!! He cursed loudly and noticing the blank stares that were aimed towards him he faked a smile and went back inside.

Taylor caught her breath easily and jumped into the black car beside her. Chad looked at her relieved. Troy looked at her expectantly.

"So, did you get the evidence?" he asked.

"I most certainly did." Taylor answered triumphantly. She smiled and handed her boyfriend the tape recorder. With that they drove off, heading for her and Gabriella's apartment.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Taylor, Chad, and Troy walked into the lobby of the apartment building. Taylor pressed the elevator button and held out her hand. She wanted to give the tape recorder to Troy so he could explain. Chad strolled over and rummaged through his pocket for the recorder. Taylor waited impatiently.

"Hand it over." She growled. Chad started throwing things out of his pockets. 100 dollar bill, car keys, Sidekick, crumpled receipts. But no tape recorder. He turned bright red and looked up at Taylor.

"Ummmm." He mumbled.

"Chad Danforth!" Taylor yelled absolutely enraged, "How could you lose it?!" People in the lobby turned to stare. Taylor pulled both Chad and Troy into the elevator and the doors closed. Taylor turned her furious eyes off her boyfriend and pressed the button for her floor. After staring at it for awhile she turned back around. "How could you lose it Chad? We only took like 10 steps from the car into the lobby!"

"I'm so sorry Tay. I don't know where it is. " Chad said apologetically.

"All of that for nothing?!" Taylor moaned. Troy was disappointed but he wasn't angry at Chad. He was angry at himself. Angry for letting Chase manipulate him. He should have been smart enough. Why did he let Chase's words get to him? The elevator dinged announcing their arrival at the floor. Henry was nowhere in sight. They stepped out and slowly headed towards the door. Taylor opened it and let Troy in ahead of her. Chad motioned to follow him but Taylor closed the door.

"No…let them talk." She said. Chad nodded and they waited patiently in the hallway.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Troy stepped inside and gulped. How was he going to explain himself? Gabriella was sitting on the couch. It looked as if she'd been there since he'd left.

"Gabi…I'm really sorry… I know I made a big mistake but I…." He was cut off by the harshest sentence he'd ever heard.

"Troy…I don't want to see you anymore." Troy felt his heart stop. "I deserve better than what you've given me. I wanted to believe that after all this time you were the same guy you used to be… the guy… the guy who loved me. But I was wrong."

"Gabi…I don't think you understand." Troy began.

"NO!"Gabriella's voice pierced through the air. "I understand fully well. I am not your doormat. I am an independent woman and I will not just sit here and let you walk all over me. Goodbye Troy Bolton. See yourself out before I have security do it." Her eyes were fierce and intense and Troy saw she meant every word. He wanted to kiss her and take back everything that happened but he couldn't. He turned and walked to the door. He took one last remorseful look at her and stepped into the hallway. Taylor opened her mouth to ask what happened, but the heart broken look on Troy's face said it all. Chad enveloped his best friend in a hug.

"I'm sorry man. But hey, the sun's shining, the grass is green, and you're not dead right?" He said, instantly regretting his words. Troy shook his head sadly. As long as Gabriella wasn't his, he was dead. She was his world and his life. So without her…there was no Troy Bolton.

**Ooooohhh...the plot thickens. Tell me what you think and plz plz plz review!!!! Thanks. DGurl:Dxx**


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